1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an image display apparatus and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing an image display apparatus obtained by combining a member having electron-emitting devices and a member having a phosphor.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, two types of devices, namely thermionic and cold cathode devices, are generally known as electron-emitting devices. Known examples of the cold cathode devices are field emission type electron-emitting devices (to be referred to as FE type electron-emitting devices hereinafter), and metal/insulator/metal type electron-emitting devices (to be referred to as MIM type electron-emitting devices hereinafter).
Known examples of the FE type electron-emitting devices are described in W. P. Dyke and W. W. Dolan, xe2x80x9cField emissionxe2x80x9d, Advance in Electron Physics, 8, 89 (1956) and C. A. Spindt, xe2x80x9cPhysical properties of thin-film field emission cathodes with molybdenum conesxe2x80x9d, J. Appl. Phys., 47, 5248 (1976).
A known example of the MIM type electron-emitting devices is described in C. A. Mead, xe2x80x9cOperation of Tunnel Emission Devicesxe2x80x9d, J. Appl. Phys., 32, 646 (1961).
A known example of surface-conduction emission type electron-emitting devices is described in, e.g., M. I. Elinson, xe2x80x9cRadio Eng. Electron Phys., 10, 1290 (1965) and other examples will be described later.
The surface conduction electron-emitting device utilizes the phenomenon in which electrons are emitted by a small-area thin film formed on a substrate by flowing a current in parallel with the film surface. The surface conduction electron-emitting device includes electron-emitting devices using an SnO2 thin film according to Elinson mentioned above, an Au thin film (G. Dittmer, xe2x80x9cThin Solid Filmsxe2x80x9d, 9,317 (1972)), an In2O2/SnO2 thin film (M. Hartwell and C. G. Fonstad, xe2x80x9cIEEE Trans. ED Conf.xe2x80x9d, 519 (1975)), a carbon thin film (Hisashi Araki et al., xe2x80x9cVacuumxe2x80x9d, Vol. 26, No. 1, p. 22 (1983)), and the like.
The image display apparatus using the above electron-emitting devices is manufactured by using the manufacturing process of preparing an electron source substrate (rear plate) on which these electron-emitting devices are arranged in a matrix, preparing a phosphor substrate (face plate) having a phosphor that is excited by electron beams to emit light, placing the face plate and rear plate to make them oppose each other such that the electron-emitting devices and phosphor are located inside, and an envelope for providing a sealed vacuum structure and a spacer for providing an atmospheric pressure resistant structure are arranged between the plates, sealing the interior by using a low-melting material such as frit glass as a seal bonding material, evacuating the interior through an exhaust pipe prepared in advance, and sealing the exhaust pipe, thereby manufacturing a display panel.
Conventional techniques are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-135018, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-96700, EPA0767481, EPA0785564, EPA0803892, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-249827.
It is desired in an image display apparatus using such electron-emitting devices to realize a high vacuum degree inside the panel.
The present inventors have, after intensive research and study, discovered that, in an image display apparatus using electron-emitting devices, there are some steps of the manufacturing steps affecting the atmosphere in the image display apparatus.
It is an object of the present invention to implement a manufacturing method capable of obtaining an image display apparatus having a good internal atmosphere even if the manufacturing steps include one of such steps.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an image display apparatus, comprising a step of seal-bonding a first member having an electron-emitting device and a second member having a phosphor which is irradiated with an electron emitted from the electron-emitting device to emit light in a seal bonding chamber in which a vacuum atmosphere is realized, wherein a step of aging the electron-emitting device is performed before the step of seal-bonding.
Another aspect of the present invention has the following arrangement.
There is provided a method of manufacturing an image display apparatus, comprising
a step of seal-bonding a first member having a plurality of electron-emitting devices and a second member having a phosphor which is irradiated with an electron emitted from the electron-emitting device to emit light in a seal bonding chamber in which a vacuum atmosphere is realized,
wherein, before a step of seal-bonding, a characteristic adjustment step of selectively adjusting characteristics of the plurality of electron-emitting devices is performed.
Still another aspect of the present invention has the following arrangement.
There is provided a method of manufacturing an image display apparatus, comprising
a step of seal-bonding a first member having an electron-emitting device and a second member having a phosphor which is irradiated with an electron emitted from the electron-emitting device to emit light in a seal bonding chamber in which a vacuum atmosphere is realized,
wherein, before the step of seal-bonding, a voltage application step of applying a voltage to the electron-emitting device subjected to an activation step is performed.
Still another aspect of the present invention has the following feature.
There is provided a method of manufacturing an image display apparatus, comprising
a step of seal-bonding a first member having an electron-emitting device and a second member having a phosphor which is irradiated with an electron emitted from the electron-emitting device to emit light in a seal bonding chamber in which a vacuum atmosphere is realized,
wherein, before the step of seal-bonding, the voltage application step of applying a voltage to the electron-emitting device having carbon and/or a carbon compound at electron-emitting portion and/or near an electron-emitting portion.
Still another aspect of the present invention has the following feature.
There is provided a method of manufacturing an image display apparatus, comprising
a step of seal-bonding a first member having an electron-emitting device and a second member having a phosphor which is irradiated with an electron emitted from the electron-emitting device to emit light in a seal bonding chamber in which a vacuum atmosphere is realized,
wherein, before the step of seal-bonding, a voltage application step of applying a voltage to the electron-emitting device is performed, the voltage having a value larger than a normal driving voltage value applied to the electron-emitting device at image display operation.